


snowflakes

by fauxghost



Series: Carry On Countdown (2017) [7]
Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Snowball Fight, these two are so precious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 06:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13094031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fauxghost/pseuds/fauxghost
Summary: "We haven’t done this since we were kids, but somehow Simon and I find ourselves out on the Great Lawn hurling snowballs at each other."





	snowflakes

**Author's Note:**

> Day 27: Snowy Day

It all starts when I slip on some ice while walking to our room after class. The weather has been terrible lately, leaving Watford covered in freezing snow and treacherous ice. Although the snow covering the grounds of the school is beautiful, the ice makes the walk to and from Mummers house extremely precarious. I’ve already seen a few first years slip and injure themselves. I had just been thinking about how someone should put safety spells on the icy paths, and suddenly I’m sliding over a frozen patch, barely avoiding falling on my face. So much for my usual composure. Snow laughs from somewhere behind me, making some remark about how “incredibly graceful” that was. 

I could probably come up with some retort that would shut him up, but instead I end up swiftly grabbing snow some off the ground, packing it into a tight ball, and hurling it at Simon before he realizes what I’m doing. It hits him directly in the chest, and his jaw drops. “Hey!”

I’m already picking up more snow and sending it his way, hitting the target once again. His thin Watford jumper is now covered in snow. “Was that graceful enough for you, Snow?”

I wait for him to charge at me, but to my surprise, he grins. “Oh, it’s on!”

We haven’t done this since we were kids, but somehow Simon and I find ourselves out on the Great Lawn hurling snowballs at each other. It’s been endlessly snowing for days, so there’s more than enough for us to fling at each other. I’m an expert at making perfectly sized snowballs, but Simon is ruthless when it comes to aim. More snow is lighting falling down around us as the battle wages on, creating a scene almost as enchanting as Simon’s laugh when one of his snowballs hits me right in the face. I should be angry, but an actual  _ giggle  _ erupts from me as I sling another snowball towards him.

When we were younger, snowball fights like these occurred all the time. They were harmless, completely different from the intense verbal and occasional physical fights we have now, but we took them very seriously at the time. We would load up on snowballs, gather teams (Dev and Niall were with me, Penny would always join Simon’s side and sometimes they dragged Agatha along), and then we would viciously impale each other with snow until we were soaking wet and drained of energy. Simon and I are doing a similar thing now, even though it’s just us out on the Lawn. We throw taunts and insults at each other almost as quickly as we throw the snowballs, but it feels unusually light hearted today. Neither of us are wearing gloves or coats, but neither of us seem to notice as we sling snowball after snowball at each other. 

Even though the air is frigid, I feel myself warm up a little every time Simon sends a grin (along with a snowball) in my direction. His cheeks are nose are flushed from the cold, and his unruly hair is wet and flopping all over the place. His blue eyes are bright against the bleak winter sky.  _ Alive. _

Simon calls for a truce when he finds out I’ve been casting _“_ ** _snowball’s chance in Hell”_** for the past few minutes to make his snowballs miss me every time. “You’re a dirty cheater!”

“You’re just mad you didn’t think of it first.” 

Simon ignores me, falling backward into the snow with a content sigh, despite how freezing it must be. He spreads his arms and legs back and forth on the ground.  _ A snow angel. _

I’m not sure I’ve ever made a snow angel, maybe when I was a kid. I loom over him with a cocked eyebrow. “You know, you’re in perfect position for a snowball to the face.”

“Noooo!” Simon yells, but he’s laughing. “We’re on a truce!”

After a minute, he stands up next to me, admiring his snow angel. There’s a handprint on it from when he got up, but Simon seems proud of his creation. I watch him as his eyes study the Great Lawn and the hills beyond. Snowflakes fall serenely to the ground. His voice is uncharacteristically soft, “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I’m still looking at him.  _ Yes.  _ “You ruined your snow angel.” I gesture to the hand print.

Simon huffs, but there’s a glint in his eyes. “I’d like to see you do better.”

“Gladly.” I find an untouched patch of snow and lay down under Simon’s scrutiny. I feel ridiculous, but I spread my arms and legs out like he did earlier. Simon’s sorching magic keeps him from getting as cold as everyone else, but I find myself shivering in the snow. 

Simon glares in defeat as I stand up the same way he did, but cast “ **_let it snow_ ** ”, directing the falling snow to cover the handprint in my snow angel until it looks untouched.

“You’re cheating again!”

“We’re mages, Snow.” I deadpan. “How is using magic cheating?”

“My snow angel is better than yours anyway.” His eyes are bearing into my intensely, but it almost looks like he’s trying to hide a smile.

We’re standing closer than usual, and I want to gently brush the snowflakes off of his eyelashes, to run my hands through his soaking wet hair. Instead, I say, “Your snow angel is a disgrace to snow angels everywhere.” 

“Oh, yeah?” He yells, and then runs toward my snow angel, intending to stomp all over it.

I tackle him before he gets there, and we end up rolling around in the snow. When we come to a stop, Simon is half on top of me. I welcome the warmth, although I find myself at a loss for words with his face so close to mine. He’s looking at me with wide eyes, and all I can see is Simon’s face and the snow lightly falling down around him. The world is quiet and still, so quiet that I think I can hear his heartbeat. 

He lightly strokes my forehead, and then pulls his hand away, fumbling for words, “Sorry, I- there was... a snowflake.. there..”

Without thinking, I brush my thumb over his bottom lip. “...You had a snowflake there.” (I’m lying).

“Did I?” Simon whispers.

I nod, not trusting myself to say anything, to ruin this moment. 

Our lips are achingly close when Simon clears his throat, blinking, like he’s unsure. “You… um… You’re shivering.”

“It’s cold.” I’m still whispering. 

His voice is low, hesitant. “Maybe I can help with that.” 

I weakly raise an eyebrow in response.

Simon gazes at me for a second longer, and then shakes his head like he’s breaking out of a stupor. “Hot cocoa?” 

I nod again, trying not to freak out about what just happened, and trying not to get my hopes up when I feel his hand linger on mine when he helps me up.

“Race you there?” I ask, and then take off towards the kitchen.

Simon follows right behind me, yelling, “Why is everything a competition with us?”

“Because it’s us.” I respond, sprinting towards the warmth of the Weeping Tower.

I beat him by a few seconds. 

Classes are out for the day, and most students are in their studying in their rooms, avoiding the cold weather. We have the kitchen all to ourselves, as dinner isn’t for a few hours. Simon and I raid the kitchen for supplies, and then make the hot cocoa together. Our clothes and hair are soaking from the snow (I don’t even want to know what my hair looks like), but I’m starting to warm up now that we’re inside. There’s probably a spell we could use to make the cocoa, but Simon never uses magic when he can avoid it, and I don’t want to rush this. We never spend time together like this. I’m afraid to make any move, to mess it up. 

As I’m making fun of him for the atrocious amount of marshmallows he dumps into his mug, he says, “Baz?”

“Yes?”

“I like this better than fighting.”

My hands, which were previously mixing my hot cocoa, go still. “We were fighting.”

“You know what I mean.” 

I look away from him because his earnest expression is too much. He’s not supposed to look at me that way. I do know what he means - we had been fighting with snowballs and banter instead of our usual harsh words and piercing magic. Crowley, we made snow angels together, and now we’re mixing hot cocoa like we’re not sworn enemies.  _ He likes this better than fighting. Whatever this is.  _ “Me too.” I say quietly.

I sneak a glance at him and see him biting his lip, trying to stifle the excited smile that spreads across his face. 

“Hot cocoa.” I say awkwardly, turning back to my mug.

“Right.” His is already finished, and he takes a long drink, humming with satisfaction. “Are you still cold?”

“A little.” My clothes are still wet, I would have cast a warming spell if I was thinking straight.

He huddles closer to me. We sip our hot cocoa in comfortable silence, and I feel jolts of electricity whenever his arm brushes against mine. He finishes before me, and his eyes follow my movements as I take my last few swallows.

“You’re staring, Snow.”

“I know.”

I set my mug down on the table and lock eyes with him. 

He slowly reaches out and tucks a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

I suppress a smile and whisper, “Was there a snowflake there?”

“No, I just… wanted to.” Simon blushes. “Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

Simon slowly inches closer until our foreheads are touching, like he’s giving me a chance to pull away if I want to. When I don’t, he gently presses his lips to mine. It starts out as a shy but sweet kiss, better than I ever imagined it would be. He wraps his arms around me as I kiss him back, smothering him with the love I’d always been too afraid to give until now. This is so much better than fighting.

He tastes like chocolate and magic, a delightful combination.

I’ve never felt warmer. 

**Author's Note:**

> currently wishing there were more words for “snow” because i feel like i just said it a million times lol  
> sorry i abandoned carry on countdown!! i got a new kitty and she has been the center of my attention :) and the prompts haven't been inspiring me quite as much.  
> i really want to write something for the "anniversaries" prompt but i have no ideas, so if you have anything you would like to read based on that prompt, please comment below!  
> thanks for reading! <3


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